Keep Breathing
by gatorgirl2008
Summary: Will a tragedy make Callie realize how much Arizona means to her. Set right after 5X24 ie. season finale
1. Chapter 1

Calliope Torres was having the day from hell. Her ex husband George had almost become road kill , in the process of being a hero by saving a young woman's life. They had managed to keep him alive but he was still a mangled mess lying on a hospital bed. The girl whom Callie had probably hated the most in this world and had wished dead many times was on a life support machine, and now all she wanted was for that same girl to live. And to make things worse she had had an argument with her girlfriend over George wanting to join the army. Even though George had broken her by sleeping with Izzie she still held a soft corner for her ex-husband and was protective of him. Arizona had felt the extent of this protectiveness when she had tried to voice her opinion about George joining the army. Callie was shocked at her using the word awesome…..she was disillusioned that the woman she was starting to fall for could use a word like that to describe a situation which could get George killed. The disillusionment had turned into anger really quickly and Callie had lashed out at Arizona even questioning who she was , and in her opinion she was right because she felt that Arizona hardly knew George and should not have been so quick judge the situation as being awesome.

However once Arizona had confronted her and tearfully told her about her brother , Callie had never felt smaller or more guilty. She had been a jerk to the woman who had soldiered through her many violent mood swings and had stood there with a smile on her face and outstretched arms . She felt she was becoming the monster that she swore that she would never be, she was becoming just like her father. She realized that she had not just dismissed Arizona's opinion but her right to an opinion , and she had judged her girlfriend too quickly without even trying to listen to her. As she saw Arizona try to leave the room she had instinctively grabbed her hand as she knew deep down that she needed Arizona in her life. She knew the words she uttered were probably not enough to heal Arizona's pain but all she could say was "I'm sorry " hoping Arizona would feel the sincerity of her words. At that moment Arizona had gotten a 911 page and she had left after telling Callie that they would talk later.

After scrubbing out of George's surgery Callie still had a couple of hours on her shift left so she decided to go and find Arizona so that she could talk to her. Ever since their argument Callie had been thinking about how her day had begun perfectly, she had woken up feeling safe and loved in Arizona's arms , they had snuggled together sharing soft , tender kisses and Callie had never felt more comfortable and content. Right now Callie needed that comfort and she now knew that only Arizona could be a source of comfort to her. The nurses however told her that Arizona had left a while ago , she was not surprised that Arizona had left without telling her considering her behaviour earlier.

She then tried calling both Arizona's cell phone and home number as she was desperate to speak to her but for over an hour there was no response. Callie was frantic now……..Where was Arizona and why wasn't she home yet? Callie headed to the pit to finish the remainder of her shift but her mind was filled with worry and thoughts of Arizona.

-Couple of hours earlier-

Arizona was walking the roads of Seattle confused and dejected. She knew she was falling for Callie but was hurt by the way Callie was constantly shutting her out or dismissing her opinions. She wanted to give Callie time to think and figure things out so she decided she would talk to Callie tomorrow. She decided to walk home as she thought the fresh air might help clear her head a bit.

Once she reached her neighbourhood the sight that greeted her chilled her to the bone. A man was hitting his child in the front yard of their house…..he had the child on the ground and was beating him with a stick. Arizona's doctors instincts kicked in immediately and she rushed to help the boy. She told the man " Sir , stop what you are doing at once". The man just sneered at her and said " Back off Blondie ". Arizona helped the boy up and stood in front of him to protect him. She told the father " Please put the stick down or I will have to call the cops". At that the man pulled out a .22 caliber pistol and shot Arizona twice dead in the chest. He got into his car and sped away, leaving Arizona to die in the street. She tried to call 911 , but even that effort was too much. She knew she was losing blood fast and wanted to call for help but she soon lapsed into a stage of unconsciousness. Thankfully, a resident across the street had heard the gunshots and called 911. Within two minutes, the paramedics arrived on scene and began their work.

"OK, put some pressure on those wounds," yelled one paramedic, "And don't let up. We don't want her to bleed out anymore than she already has." "Get me the intubation kit-we have to stabilize her and establish an airway," yelled another. Arizona lay on the ground, intubated, having someone else breathe for her via Ambu-bag and blood all over. Once they finally had her somewhat stable, the paramedics immediately loaded her into the ambulance and ran lights and sirens all the way to Seattle Grace Hospital. In the 15 minutes it took to arrive, CPR was done all the way there to ensure their patient didn't die before she could receive treatment.

Callie , Cristina and Bailey were manning the pit but with a heavy heart because their mind was on George and Izzie and in Callie's case on Arizona too. They however jumped up ready and alert when they heard the siren of the incoming ambulance. The paramedics brought the stretcher out and explained " 34 year old female , multiple gun shot wounds to the chest , massive blood loss , weak pulse , blood pressure 80/50 and falling". Once they saw the face of the patient , all three doctors felt their heart stop. " Arizona" Callie croaked out before falling to her knees on the ground. Bailey meanwhile yelled " Page Hunt and get her to an OR immediately and hook her to a heart monitor". Cristina helped Callie up and said " I know you and Roller Girl have a thing but pull yourself together and help or she's not going to make it". At this time Arizona's heart monitor started beeping. " Oh no she's coding……..get a crash cart in here " Bailey yelled. Bailey asked Cristina to help so Cristina started compressions on Arizona's chest while Bailey picked up the paddles and called " Charge to 300……clear" while Callie stood there sobbing and praying for a miracle that would bring her Arizona back.

A/N : Reviews are most appreciated. Thank you

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	2. Chapter 2

"Charge to 300…..clear" Bailey yelled . There was no response on the heart monitor. " Charge to 350………clear" but still there was no response from Arizona's heart. Bailey was getting desperate now and she yelled " Charge to 400……clear". Suddenly Arizona's heart monitor came to life and Cristina and Bailey let out a huge sigh of relief " We've got a heartbeat" they yelled . They then ordered Nurse Tyler to page Dr. Hunt and Dr. Shepherd immediately. Callie seemed to have gone into a state of shock and was standing motionless in the corner.

"What the hell is going on here?" Chief Webber came barreling into the room, looking shocked. There was a moment where a look of fear came over his face, in which he seemed to realize who the patient was but he quickly tried to make his face impassive. "We have a member of the SGH staff in trauma, and I wasn't paged? What is going on here?" Bailey came rushing into the room, subtly trying to keep a distance between Webber, who looked like he was trying to look professional, and Callie, who was gazing at him dazedly. Why didn't anyone get a hold of me? Why---" Chief was sputtering. "Because she was brought in just a few minutes ago, Sir," Bailey said quietly. Richard turned, looking at her, then glanced down at Arizona, who was still bleeding and laying motionless. Richard averted his gaze immediately, looking stung. "What's her BP? Temp? Is there an exit wound, how is she doing?" "Sir, I'd love to finish this conversation with you, but we need to get her down to an OR and an MRI immediately, as soon as Dr. Hunt and Dr. Shepherd get here to---". "We are here. What have we got?" Derek and Owen came hurrying into the room and then froze. It was obvious Tyler had not mentioned the patient's name to them.

Arizona was rushed into surgery because it was critical to remove the bullets and stop the bleeding. Cristina , Meredith and Bailey were scrubbing in along with Hunt and Shepherd. Callie was sitting in the viewing gallery with tears rolling down her cheeks. She still couldn't believe what was happening. She looked up when she felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Cristina and Callie had never seen so much emotion on Cristina's face as she asked " What can I do for you Cal?" . Callie looked her in the eye and whispered " Go in there and make sure she doesn't die". It was a long surgery and Callie couldn't bear to watch most of it . She was sitting there sobbing into Mark's shoulder whose heart was breaking for his best friend. Callie just kept whispering to herself " She cant die……she cant die" . Mark just kept on rubbing her back not knowing what to say that would soothe his best friend right now.

Once the surgery was over Callie rushed to Hunt " Owen , what happened. How is she?" Owen had a pained look on his face " We were able to remove the bullets and stop most of the bleeding but both the bullets were lodged in the heart and have caused serious heart muscle and tissue damage. She is still critical and we need a top notch cardiothoracic surgeon to perform surgery on her soon and you know that SGH does not have a head cardio at the moment so we need to fly in someone from another hospital. Shepherd is currently doing an MRI to assess her head injuries". At that Owen yanked his scrub cap and walked off. He had lost nineteen of his command in Iraq….he was used to death but yet the thought of anything happening to good people like Arizona and George was making him sick to the stomach. As Owen walked off Callie noticed Bailey sitting on the floor with tears rolling down her cheeks. Callie thought to herself " Even Bailey couldn't resist the kindness that is Arizona Robbins". Callie realized that though outwardly Bailey never showed any emotion towards the blonde peds surgeon , she actually did consider Arizona as a friend and her mentor.

In a moment of clarity and resolve Callie realized what she needed to do to help Arizona. She walked over to the Chief's office " Chief , I am sure you know that Arizona needs a good cardiac surgeon to repair the damage to her heart.". Webber nodded " Yes Dr. Torres , I am trying to reach Dr. Dixon". Callie continued " I am going to do anything to save her life and for that I need the number. Sir , you know whose number I am talking about so please just give it to me". " Dr. Torres I understand you are worried and scared but giving you the number is against hospital privacy rules and regulations" Webber tried to reason. Callie pleaded "Right now Arizona's life is more is more important to me than any rule or regulation". Seeing Callie's face Webber gave in and handed her a piece of paper on which he scribbled down a number. Callie just thanked him and left his office and walked to the nurses station.

Callie didn't know whether what she was doing was right or not but she couldn't trust Dixon with Arizona's surgery. She would do whatever was needed to save Arizona's life and for that she needed the best cardiac surgeon and so she picked up the phone and dialed the number that was written on the piece of paper. It was ringing and when someone picked up Callie said " Can I talk to Dr. Erica Hahn please"

A/N : Reviews are most appreciated. Thank you


	3. Chapter 3

" Can I speak to Dr. Erica Hahn please". After a gap of about two minutes Callie heard the very familiar voice saying "Hello". A part of Callie wanted to hang up the phone and hide but she knew for Arizona's sake she had to do this. She composed herself and said with a somewhat shaky voice " Hi Erica , its Callie". Erica couldn't keep the surprise out of her voice " Callie …how…how did you find me". Callie then just burst out losing control of her emotions " She is hurt Erica . I don't want to lose her. I need your help to save her….Erica ,please" she sobbed. Erica had no idea who she was talking about but her heart melted at the pain in Callie's voice and she said " I will take the first flight out." Erica also hoped that her return to Seattle Grace even for this short period might provide the closure she had been seeking all these months.

Callie walked near to end Arizona's bed in the ICU and took a seat on the chair provided. She got shook up again by the sight of her Arizona lying on the bed, not only motionless, but also connected to several tubes and machines. She reached her hand out and touched her face ever so gently. Instinctively, another tear rolled down her already tear-stained face.

"_This shouldn't happen to her" _she thought. For a second on having that thought in her mind, she felt angry. Who the hell could have the heart to do that to her? God, if only her friends or the Chief, or Bailey, or someone could tell her what exactly happened. _Who_ shot Arizona ? _When_ did this happen? _How_ did it happen? And _why?_

Damn whoever was holding that gun . Arizona Robbins was one of the kindest , compassionate , giving people Callie knew and the thought of the man who so cold heartedly shot Arizona made the strongest feeling of hate Callie had ever felt for anyone erupt in her chest.

Callie reached over to get a hold of Arizona's left hand and held it clasped tight between both of her hands. She watched as her chest slowly moved up and down as she breathed with the help of the ventilator , and let the angry tears fall. "I need you, Arizona" she whispered, squeezing her hand lightly.

"Callie?" a quiet voice came from somewhere near the doorway.

Callie quickly wiped off her tears with the back of her hand and glanced towards the doorway to find her friend standing there, arms crossed over her chest and her face pained. "Hey," Callie managed a weak smile.

Cristina offered a smile back. She was proud at how her friend had pulled herself together and was being strong despite what was happening. The smile and even a simple "Hey" said it all. "Do you want anything?" she asked, quietly.

Callie shook her head gently and brought her gaze back to Arizona. "No, I'm fine."

Cristina walked over to her friend and slowly placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you sure?"

Upon receiving Callie's stubborn nod, Cristina pulled another chair towards her friend's and took a seat quietly. "Cal, I'm really sorry." Callie gave a gentle nod, her gaze still fixed on Arizona , and found herself on the verge of tears again. "Why did this happen, Cris? Why did I have to fight with her making her leave the hospital alone , if I was with her this would never have happened."

Cristina let her eyes close for a couple of seconds before taking a deep breath and exhaling with a deep, sharp sigh. "Don't do this to yourself. It was a tragic accident, Callie. It was never meant to happen. Don't blame yourself "

Callie turned to look at Cristina and furrowed her eyebrows. "What are you talking about? There were multiple bullets in her chest" she said, her face etched with nothing but confusion. "How could that ever be an accident?". Cristina took Callie's hand in hers and said with a small smile "I came to tell you that George is stable and Izzie is breathing on her own again , she has been taken off life support. Have faith Callie. If they have pulled through , so will Arizona." Callie marveled at the support Cristina was offering and was proud at how much her roommate had grown. Cristina continued "One last thing I want to say. I have your back. I'll always be here because you are my non -friend person" . Callie just squeezed her hand and said nothing because she couldn't find words to thank Cristina for her support.

Derek was rushing down the hospital hallway in search of Callie, but as he turned a corner, he accidentally bumped into Mark .

"Mark! Thank god!" he exclaimed, slightly out of breath. "Have you seen Torres?"

Mark stood in front of him and crossed his arms over his chest. "Uh yeah, she's still in Robbin's room," he replied, furrowing her eyebrows. "Why?"

Derek hesitated before finally saying, "I'm afraid I've got some bad news for her. It's about Arizona."

"Bad news?" Mark asked, confused. "What are you talking about? Are there more complications?"

Shepherd looked down to the floor and sighed, before nodding his head slowly. "Yes, I came to know that Arizona fell when she was being shot and hit her back . So, I ran some tests and the films show that her spine is slightly damaged."

"She has spinal damages?" Mark asked, shocked. At that point of time, there was only one thought in his head. He wanted to ask Shepherd to make sure, but he was not sure if he would want to know the answer. "Is she going to be...somewhat paralyzed?"

Mark let out an inaudible small sigh of relief when Shepherd shook his head, but soon found himself holding another breath when the expression on Shepherd's face remain unchanged. A mixed expression of sad, worry and confusion was registered all over his pale face. "Worse. The damages are causing pressure to her brain," he replied, quietly. "It's leading her into a coma."

Mark walked slowly towards Arizona's room. The earlier conversation with Derek replayed in his head.

_"A coma? For how long?"_

_"It's a little too soon to tell."_

_"Well, you're going to do something, right?"_

_"I'm trying my best. I'm just hoping that surgery will relieve enough pressure for her brain to recover."_

_"Somebody has to tell Callie."_

_"Yes, and I was hoping if you could do that for me."_

"Hey" Callie greeted him with a small smile.

"Hey " Mark replied back. He watched as Callie diverted her gaze back at Arizona again. Mark bit his lower lip, contemplating on how to break the horrible news to his best friend. Shepherd did mention that her brain would have a good chance on recovering but still, a coma? Callie wouldn't be too happy to hear that. But somebody had to let her know. She ought to know.

Mark took a deep, long breath. "Callie , I've got something to tell you," he finally said and hesitated before adding, "About Arizona."

Callie looked at him and frowned, "What about Arizona?"

Mark sighed and looked down at the floor. He couldn't bear to look at how Callie would react. "_This is too hard",_ he thought.

"Mark?" Callie called. "What is it? You are scaring me"

Mark looked up and closed his eyes briefly. "I...I'm sorry, Cal, but you ought to know about this. Shep-" was all that he managed to say before he heard Callie sobbing. He stopped talking and just looked at his friend shedding more tears.

"It's definitely something bad, isn't it?" Callie asked, choking with tears, shaking slightly.

"Cal, please calm down," Mark put his hand on his friend's shoulders and tried to comfort her. "I bumped into Derek a while ago. He told me that Arizona's films show that...that there are spinal injuries."

Callie sniffed and continued to have her eyebrows furrowed. "Arizona has spinal injuries?"

Mark nodded solemnly. "The injuries are exerting pressure on her brain, and it's...it's-"

"It's causing her to go into a coma?" Callie finished for him, tears rolling down her cheeks again. "How did this happen?"

"Arizona fell when she was shot, and she hit her back," Mark explained, calmly. "Derek just came to know about that so he ran some tests and discovered the damages."

"My God," Callie turned to Arizona, before bringing her hand to her lips and kissed her knuckles. "Arizona." Callie reached her hand over to Arizona's face and caressed her cheek ever so softly. She silently stared at her, before fighting to compose herself so that she could start speaking.

"Ari, honey, it's me, Calliope," she began, fighting back tears. If Arizona was going to hear her, she figured, she shouldn't be crying or let her know that she was crying. She was in a very bad place right now. She was weak and vulnerable, and she had to be strong for her. "I know that it hurts and I know that you may be tempted to give up, but please don't. You have to fight this. There are just too many reasons for you to live, and there are just too many people who wants you to live and who loves you dearly," she whispered, pausing for a while to regain her composure. "I miss you, Ari. And I can't imagine my life without you in it. You simply light every single part of it. And I need you, Ari. You were always there to tell me that you're not going anywhere everytime I needed you. But you're not here right now to tell me that, and I still need you to assure me that everything is going to be alright. Please Arizona, don't you leave me."

Callie knew it was an uphill battle but she was determined with every cell of her body that she would not let Arizona go anywhere.

A/N : Reviews are most appreciated. Thank you.


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning Erica Hahn walked into Seattle Grace. As she walked the familiar hallways images of Callie and Sloan , Callie defending Izzie and the hospital started to flood her mind but she quickly pushed them away. She was here to save somebody's life and that's what she would do. If she found closure in the process that was an added bonus.

As she walked towards the nurses station she saw Mark and Cristina standing there. Their eyes widened in shock once they saw her. Mark looked annoyed " What are you doing here? Didn't you do enough damage by leaving that you are back here now"

Erica smirked " Sloan , I don't need your permission to be anywhere. But since you asked Callie called me for a consult on Dr. Robbins case". " Now if you don't mind I have to go and prepare for the surgery and have a look at the chart".

Cristina stopped her "Callie called you to perform Arizona's surgery". "Brilliant deduction ,Yang. I might even let you scrub in on the surgery." Erica walked off.

Erica dialed Callie's number and said "Callie , I am here at the nurses station". As Callie approached Erica at the nurses station she was experiencing a myriad of emotions relief, akwardness , anger but all she said was " Hi Erica. Thanks for coming". Erica just nodded " Lets go save Dr. Robbins. We can talk later".

Erica looked over Arizona's chart and decided they needed to do the surgery that day. She chose Owen , Bailey and Cristina to scrub in with her on the surgery. Bailey and Cristina did not like Hahn at all but they recognized that they all needed to work together to save Arizona's life so they decided to be as cooperative as possible.

As they were scrubbing in for the surgery , Callie entered the scrub room and approached them " Thank you once again, Erica". "Don't thank me now, thank me once she is alright" Erica said before entering the OR. Callie approached Cristina "Take care of Arizona for me". " I will" she said before she too entered the OR.

It was a six hour surgery and it was torture for Callie who was sitting in the gallery watching. Mark approached her with a cup of coffee. Callie nodded her thanks as he sat down next to her.

" I still cant believe you called her" he started. " It was the best thing to do. She's the only one I could trust with this surgery" she explained. "But doesn't this make things complicated for you Callie? You and Erica never even said goodbye". "Mark , that's the last thing on my mind right now. Right now all I care about is getting Arizona through this" said Callie with a determined expression on her face.

Once the surgery was over Erica approached Callie who was waiting with bated breath for the news. " Congratulations Callie , the surgery was a success. We were able to repair whatever damage had occurred to her heart tissue. The pressure on the brain is still an issue which Shepherd will handle but her heart is fine".

Callie felt tears of relief pouring down her cheeks. She knew they weren't out of the woods yet but this was a huge step in the right direction. She was brought out of her thoughts by Erica asking " Are you free at nine tonight. Lets meet at the Archfield lobby. I think we need to talk". Callie nodded and Erica walked off.

Callie suddenly felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around and when she saw who it was she gave them a huge hug " Mrs. O' Malley, When did you get here? I am so sorry about George". Mrs.O' Malley replied " George's surgeries were a success Callie. He has a long way to go but for now he's fine. He's still very weak but he wants to speak to you".

Callie entered George's room and as soon as she saw him alive and awake she felt more alive than she had in these three dreadful days. She walked upto his bed and whispered "Hi George"

George managed to croak out " Callie , I need you to listen to me without interrupting . I know I broke you when I slept with Izzie and when I didn't try to fight for our marriage even though you wanted to. I never properly apologized to you for that. Despite that , in the last few months you have been an incredible friend and supported me when my other friends had even forgotten I existed. You are an incredible woman Callie and you should be happy. I don't want you to ever blame yourself for what happened between us. After the accident as I was laying on this bed ,all I could think about is that my girls should be happy. Promise me Callie , that you will be happy. is an amazing person , promise me you wont close your heart to love just because I broke it".

Callie left George's room with tears rolling down her cheeks but she also felt a lightness in her chest. She and George had finally communicated what all they had felt in the past year and they could now finally be good friends.

Bailey moved briskly out of the room in search of Dr. Shepherd. After a few minutes of tracking down, she finally found him at the Nurse Station on the 4th floor, focused on scribbling notes on a patient's chart.

"Good evening, Dr. Shepherd," Bailey greeted, walking towards the station.

Shepherd looked up and nodded. "Dr. Bailey," he acknowledged. "How's Dr. Robbins?"

Bailey shook her head, sadly. "Heart surgery was a success but she still hasn't woken up. No changes on pressure on the brain" she stated, quietly.

Shepherd sighed and went back to scribbling on the chart. "I'm getting her into the OR tomorrow morning. If we're going to do that surgery, we would have to do it soon," he said. "Do you think you can schedule that for me?"

Bailey nodded almost immediately. "Of course, Dr. Shepherd." She started to walk off, but then stopped when she realized something. She turned back to Shepherd and asked cautiously, "What if there are...changes?"

Derek looked back up at her, knowing immediately what she meant and managed a weak smile, "If Arizona wakes up before we get her into the surgery and shows signs of recovery, then cancel it."

As Callie approached Erica in the hotel lobby , she was feeling anxious but also relieved that they could finally talk because she had missed talking to Erica.

Erica smiled "You are here alone. I thought Sloan would have been here with you".

Callie replied " Erica, Mark is just my best friend"

" Oh so you sleep with all your male best friends" Erica questioned.

Callie said with an earnest expression "Erica , I will always regret hurting you. I never meant to do that , its just I was confused and I slept with Mark to try and find some answers not realizing how much I was hurting you. I really am sorry because that was the day I really hurt my best friend".

Erica gave a small smile " It wasn't all your fault Callie. I shouldn't have lied to you and said it was ok when it wasn't . I shouldn't have used Izzie Stevens as an excuse to run away from you just because I felt I was falling much faster than you were. I made mistakes too Callie"

Erica continued " I want to put that bitterness behind us. I am learning to be happy and for the last 2 months I am dating this nice woman. Her name is Kelly and she is a neuro surgeon. I just want you to know that I want you to be happy Callie. You deserve to be happy Callie"

Callie had tears in her eyes " Can I have my friend back. I have really missed her."

Erica answered with a smile " You have her Cal. She missed you too"

Callie and Erica hugged each other grateful that they could salvage their friendship even after the mistakes they had made.

Erica smiled " So tell me about Dr. Robbins"

Callie started " Arizona is my girlfriend. She picked me up and brought me back to life after you left. She is perky and happy most of the time but there is a serious side to her that a lot of people don't see. She doesn't let merun and makes me communicate with her. She stays there with me even when  
I try to push her away. "I just want a chance to apologize for being an idiot and tell her how I feel".

Erica smiled " I realized she was someone important to you because for her you ignored the akwardness and called me. I could sense the pain in your voice when you spoke of her being hurt. I hope you two find happiness together".

As Callie walked back to the hospital she felt as though a huge weight had lifted off her chest. She had found closure with George and Erica today and she was starting afresh as friends with both of them. For the first time in months Callie was looking forward to her future.

With a burst of amazing clarity Callie now knew that she wanted to move forward and the person she wanted by her side was Arizona. She now just prayed that Arizona woke up so she could tell her how she felt about her and that Arizona was her future.


	5. Chapter 5

Callie spent the whole night in Arizona's room dozing off, eventually, after staying up talking to Arizona's comatose form for more hours than she could ever imagine. She was so engrossed in her sleep that she hadn't taken notice of the nurse on duty walking in and out of the room to check on Arizona the entire time. Cristina had walked passed the room earlier, and saw sleeping Callie resting her head on the side of bed, her hands still stubbornly clasping her girlfriend's. She smiled weakly, walking off and letting Callie have some rest.

It was not until after 8 in the morning that Callie felt a light tapping on her shoulder. She opened her eyes slowly and looked up to see Bailey looking down at her, with one hand planted firmly on her hip.

Callie quickly stood up and nodded, "I'm going now, Bailey." She wanted to stay with Arizona, but she knew she had patients to see.

She started to walk off, but felt a sudden jerk on her hand and realized that she was being pulled back to face Bailey. "Where do you think you're going?" Bailey asked, slightly wincing at the sight of Callie's tired features.

"Um, checking on patients?"

"No, you're not, you're staying here with Dr. Robbins!" Bailey snapped. "Besides, you've reached your 80-hour limit, so when Dr. Robbins wakes up, I'd better see you here with her!"

Callie looked at Bailey skeptically and then realized that that was Bailey's "Nazi" way of giving her the permission to stay with her girlfriend. Callie wanted to smile, but however soft-hearted the Nazi could be, she was still the Nazi.

"Thanks" Callie nodded and walked back to her chair before sitting back down.

A couple of hours later Mark stopped by."Are you sure you're ok?" Mark asked, concerned. "I mean, no offense, but you don't look so good," he added, studying Callie's features on her exhausted face.

"I'm just tired," Callie replied, her gaze still fixated on Arizona. "I've been up all night talking to Arizona" she added, fighting back tears. She didn't want to cry again. She had to be strong for Arizona.

Mark looked down at Arizona , and nodded sadly. He stayed silent, not being able to find the correct words to respond with, without hurting Callie's feelings.

The silence was interrupted by Cristina walking into the room. "Hey," she managed a smile and walked towards Callie. "Are you alright?"

Callie nodded solemnly. "Yeah, just a little tired."

Cristina looked at her watch and realized that it was already 11 in the morning and was sure that Callie hadn't had breakfast yet. "Callie, let's get to the cafeteria to get breakfast," she offered, gently placing her hand on her friend's shoulder.

Callie looked up at Cristina and shook her head gently. "It's ok. I'm fine."

Cristina sighed. "Come on, Callie. It's late and you haven't had food yet."

Mark looked on at the two and tried to help Cristina out. "You should go get food," he stated. "I'll wait here with Blondie until you get back."

Callie was sitting with Cristina in the cafeteria and Cristina was trying to make her eat. She suddenly realized that she had left Arizona with Mark for more than an hour and with that, she jerked off of her seat and started to collect her things.

"Where are you going?" Cristina asked, surprised.

"I have to get back to Arizona " Callie replied simply.

"Callie, please," Cristina pleaded, catching a hold of her friend's arm. "You need to take a break. You haven't even finished your salad yet."

Callie looked down at her untouched salad. She wasn't in the mood for eating, probably after what had happened. "I cannot take a break, Cristina," Callie pulled her arm away gently. "She needs me."

"I know. And I know how hard things are for you, but you need to clear things off of your head for a bit," Cristina said. "You haven't been resting for hours. You need to take care of yourself too."

Callie sighed and diverted her gaze up to the sky, trying to hold back tears. "Arizona is in a coma, Cris," she stated, looking back down at her friend. "She needs me. I have to keep on talking to her; she might hear me," she added.

Cristina looked down at her hands, not being able to say anything. She wanted to be a supportive friend, so she simply nodded.

"As you know, the longer she stays in a coma, the greater the chance she might not-" Callie's voice trailed off, as she started to choke on her tears.

"She might not fully recover, I know," Cristina said, quietly. "Then, you should go to her. Keep talking. It might help if she hears your voice."

Callie and Cristina walked back to Arizona's room in silence, They were halfway through the hallway to the room, when Cristina saw Shepherd rushing into the room, his stethoscope hanging loosely in his hands, and his face etched with concern. Callie noticed too, and couldn't help wondering why. In a matter of seconds, her brain started to imagine the worst. Her curiosity was further tested when she then saw Bailey walking briskly into the same room, an expression of surprise and shock being plastered on her face as soon as she moved in pass the door.

"What's happening?" Callie managed to ask to no one in particular, her voice barely above a whisper. Her steps quickened, as she pulled Cristina with her, who was trying to catch up with her pace.

Callie moved into the room and stopped at the door. Gradually, her eyes were drawn to scanning the entire room. She saw Bailey standing by the bed, looking down at Arizona. She saw Shepherd taking Arizona's left wrist in his hands to check her pulse. She saw a nurse she didn't know, or didn't ever bother to know the name of, taking orders from Shepherd. She saw Mark standing there nervously as the other doctors did their work.

"What is going o-?" Everything seemed to be a blur, until she heard the sweetest sound she had ever heard. She heard Arizona croak out " Calliope". Instinctively, a hand flew over a mouth, covering it as she let out a small, inaudible gasp. "Ari "

She then couldn't control herself anymore. She sat down by Arizona's bed , held her hand and just sobbed with relief.

"Well, it seems that she has decided to prevent me from performing that surgery by finally recovering from her coma." Shepherd let out a small laugh, before smiling genuinely. "It's a miracle, I guess."

Miracle. Callie as a doctor was taught not to believe in miracles. They were taught to worship science and yet this was nothing short of a miracle so maybe just this once, she would take a little less belief in science and a little more faith in miracles.

"So, care to fill me in with new things that happened while I was gone?"

Callie looked up from where she was pouring a glass of water on the rolling table beside the bed and smiled. "There's not much to report, Ari."

She studied her girlfriend's tired and sick expression and let out a slight grimace. She hated that she had to be that sick. True, it was one of the happiest moments in her life when she saw Arizona finally fluttering open her eyes two nights ago, but to see her weak and vulnerable, broke her heart.

"What's on your mind?" Arizona enquired, sitting up on the bed, before taking a small sip of water from the glass, all the time having her eyes fixated on Callie. "You look...I don't know, pretty thoughtful."

"Oh, it's nothing," Callie dismissed her question. "I was just thinking."

"About what?" Arizona asked again, putting her glass on the counter nearby.

Callie hesitated, genuinely trying to think of something to reply with. She didn't want to burden Arizona right now with news about George and Izzie and Erica and talking about feelings" "Just some things" Callie replied vaguely.

"So, what kind of _things _things?" Arizona was really enjoying this; she had missed bantering with her. "We need to talk Calliope. There are things I want to say to you and ask you" Arizona said with her puppy-dog expression knowing Callie couldn't resist it.

"I promise Ari , we'll talk tomorrow but today please go to sleep. You need your rest" Callie pleaded while stroking her hair.

Arizona's heart melted and she smiled playfully "Only if I get a kiss goodnight?"

Callie looked up at her girlfriend putting on the sexy smile that she knew would make her weak at the knees.

"So...am I going to get that kiss anytime soon?" Arizona asked, playfully.

Callie leaned in and smiled slyly, carefully hovering herself over her as to not hurt her, and gave her a short, yet passionate kiss.

Callie was simply overjoyed that Arizona was back and as she fell asleep next to Arizona that night , for the first time in a week she slept with a smile on her face.


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning for the first time in a week Callie went on rounds to check up on her patients. She didn't want to leave Arizona but Arizona had insisted that patients came first. Callie left Arizona's room with a heavy heart promising her that she would be back as soon as rounds were over.

Arizona was sitting in the hospital bed with a gentle smile on her face lost in thoughts of Callie. She knew they had issues to work through and she wasn't completely sure of how Callie felt about her but she knew without a doubt how she felt about Callie. She realized that if something had happened to her , she would never have had the chance to tell Callie her feelings. At that moment she decided that whatever the outcome she would tell Callie how she felt about her today.

She was broken out of her daytime reverie when an attractive , older blonde in dark blue scrubs and a lab coat approached her with Cristina behind her. Arizona noticed that Cristina was looking nervous . "Good morning Dr. Robbins, I am here for your post op check up and also we need to run a few tests". Arizona nodded and gave her a pleasant smile. Erica smiled back " I forgot to introduce myself. I am Erica Hahn and I performed your heart surgery".

Arizona felt her heart plummet into her stomach but she said with a as pleasant voice as she could manage "I am Arizona Robbins. I didn't know you were back working at Seattle Grace". Erica shook her head "No , I am not back here to work". " I came here for your surgery , Callie called me here for it". Noticing Arizona's shocked expression Erica continued " I assumed Callie would have told you". "It was nice meeting you Dr. Robbins. Yang , finish the rest of the tests and bring me the reports when they are done" Erica left the room after finishing the check up.

Arizona was feeling let down and betrayed. She kept on thinking to herself "Why didn't Calliope tell me? Was Erica being here the thing that made her so pre-occupied last night? I kept on asking her what was going on and as usual she brushed me off and didn't talk to me".

Arizona knew she shouldn't jump to conclusions and should listen to what Callie had to say but she couldn't help feeling disheartened. Everytime she thought they were progressing in their relationship , a new road block came up.

Cristina could see the anguish on Arizona's face. "Arizona, I know it's not really my business but please talk to her. Give her a chance to explain. She really cares about you. She was a complete mess at the thought of losing you" Cristina told her with the hope that she could make things better.

"Thanks Cristina" Arizona said in a defeated tone. Cristina gave her a small smile and wheeled her out of the room to take her for the tests.

As they were passing the nurses station , they noticed Callie and Erica standing there talking and laughing. Then suddenly Erica pulled Callie into a hug and gave her a kiss on the cheek and Arizona could see that Callie was smiling. Arizona felt tears pricking her eyes and she turned to Cristina "Calliope looks happy , doesn't she?" . Cristina didn't know how to respond.

Callie entered the room with a smile on her face but worry filled her heart when she saw Arizona looking subdued and forlorn. "Ari,whats wrong? Are you feeling alright" she asked worried.

Arizona looked at her with sadness in her eyes "Were you ever going to tell me Calliope".

Callie looked at her confused "Tell you what, Arizona"

"Tell me that Erica is back here. That you called her here for my surgery. I kept on asking you last night about what was bothering you but like always you didn't tell me anything"

Callie tried to calm her down "Ari, you were so weak. I didn't want to burden you with news that could wait. I was just waiting for a good time to tell you."

"Tell me what? That you are leaving me as soon as I get better. That you are going back to Erica. Is that why you avoided talking to me yesterday".

Callie looked shocked "Arizona , what are you talking about. How can you even think that"

"Because I saw the little public display of affection between you and her at the nurses station. You seemed happy with her Calliope . You do what makes you happy" Arizona said with tears running down her face.

Just as Callie was about to respond Meredith knocked and came in. "Sorry to interrupt but I need to take you down for an MRI , Dr. Robbins". Arizona nodded and left with Meredith for the test.

Callie sat down on the bed with her face in her hands. She couldn't believe that she could lose someone she cared deeply about to a stupid misunderstanding.

Mark entered the room and saw Callie sitting there. "Where's Blondie? Thought I would check up on her" he said. Callie responded with a small voice "She's gone for an MRI"

Mark asked worried "What's with you"

"Arizona thinks I am going to leave her for Erica"

"Why would she think that" Mark asked confused.

"Because I didn't tell her Erica was here and then she saw Erica hug me and kiss me on the cheek".

"You know Cal , I am not going to say anything about that. You are a big girl and you can decide for yourself but I will say that if you want Arizona , fight for her"

"I will if you will" Callie said urging Mark to make things right with Lexie.

"I will" Mark smiled and left the room.

Callie waited for Arizona to be brought back to her room. When Arizona saw Callie she started "Calliope, can we do this later. I am tired and hurt and I really cant deal with this right n….." Before she could complete her sentence Callie cut in "No Ari , we cannot do this later. I am going to talk and you are going to listen".


	7. Chapter 7

"Its fine Calliope . You don't have to explain. I just want you to be happy even if it means seeing you walk away from me" Arizona said her voice breaking.

"Arizona" Callie interrupted her "I am not willing to lose another person that is important to me due to a misunderstanding that is why I ask you to let me talk for the next few minutes without interrupting please".

"I know I am not the easiest person to get along with. I'll be the first to admit I am not a people's person. I was not the most popular girl in high school or college and I didn't even fall in love until I came here and met George. I gave myself completely to George and we both know how that ended. I walked out of that relationship broken and a ghost of who I used to be" Callie continued.

"Then Erica came into my life. Both of us didn't make friends easily but somehow we clicked as friends. Erica helped get rid of the loneliness I had felt since George had left me but things became complicated when we became more than friends. I was confused and scared and we ended up hurting each other until she gave up on me and left". Arizona looked like she wanted to interrupt but decided against it.

"Once Erica left me, I once again felt the crushing weight of hopelessness and loneliness descend upon me. I kept on asking myself what it was about me that people could walk away so easily" Callie said in a small voice.

Callie took Arizona's hand in hers and continued "So I decided for the sake of my personal sanity to build the walls higher and not to invest my everything into a single person. And then you entered my life , you were different from anyone I had ever been with. You were positive , bright ,giving, open , honest and I could feel myself falling for you everyday I was with you"

"To be honest Arizona, that freaked me out like crazy because I didn't want to feel so vulnerable to anyone again. So I started pushing you away but you stayed with me throughout everything. You held me when my dad and the rest of the family refused to talk to me , you understood when I was acting snappy about my money situation , but I guess I was too caught up in my crap to really notice what you were thinking or feeling and maybe that's the reason I dismissed you so abruptly when we argued about George joining the army".

"But this week has changed my perspective on everything. George , Izzie and then you almost dying scared me to death. The thought of losing you made me realize how much you meant to me and that I would do anything to keep you safe. That's the only reason Erica is here. Because of what I felt for you , I felt enough strength to overcome the akwardness and to call her for your surgery because I wanted the best surgeon"

"Then why was she kissing you" Arizona couldn't stop herself any longer from asking.

Callie gave her a gentle smile "Let me finish Arizona. The day of your surgery I spoke to both George and Erica. I communicated honestly with them and have started afresh as friends with both them"

"Doing that made me realize that my heart had been blocked for the last few months, but the closure I finally got from them and the strength of what I feel for you opened it up again. I now feel the ability to love again and now I find myself imagining my future and every minute of my future includes one person and that is you – Arizona Robbins" Callie said stroking Arizona's cheek.

"What you saw today between me and Erica was goodbye. She's flying back tonight and we were wishing each other happiness. Erica knows that you are my happiness, Arizona and she's also found happiness with someone else. I know I should have talked about all this to you earlier but you were so frail and weak , I just wanted to protect you".

Arizona suddenly burst into tears. Callie was worried "Ari , what's wrong". Arizona sniffed "I cant hold it back anymore , Calliope. This shooting made me realize that I could have died without telling you what I feel and I cant go another day without telling you. I am in love with you , Calliope. I feel good and strong when I am with you. All I need is for you to let me in"

Callie had a huge smile on her face "I love you too , Ari. The fact that I could say this without freaking out proves that you broke through my defences and carved your way into my heart . If it weren't for your damn injuries I would show you just how much I love you"

Arizona shut Callie up by pulling her into a deep and passionate kiss.

Callie suddenly started laughing. Arizona looked confused "What is it Calliope"

"Oh nothing , Ari. I was just thinking of how cute you look when you are jealous" Callie said still laughing.

"Shut up , Calliope" said Arizona with a mock glare.

Callie suddenly got down on one knee and took out her medical school pin and said with a huge grin "Arizona Robbins , since you grew up in the military I know you will appreciate this." She put the pin on Arizona's shirt and said "Arizona will you accept my pin and go steady with me?"

Arizona's dimples appeared in full force and she said with a smile as bright as the rainbow "I would love to go steady with you , Calliope".

They spent the whole night cuddling on Arizona's hospital bed sharing gentle kisses and talking about everything under the sun and getting to know the smallest details about each other.

Callie and Arizona both were peaceful and happy . They were finally where they wanted to be and they knew their future would be beautiful as long as they had each other.


End file.
